PASCAGOULA, Miss. - The U.S. Navy has accepted delivery of its future Amphibious Transport Dock, USS Portland (LPD 27).
Delivery signifies the ship's official transfer from the shipbuilder to the Navy. Upon delivery, pre-commissioning unit sailors move aboard the ship to begin training while the shipyard completes finishing work.
In addition to training, the crew will prepare the ship for sail-away to her homeport of San Diego. LPD 27 is the 11th San Antonio class ship to be delivered to the Navy and will be commissioned in Portland, Oregon in 2018.
"Delivery of Portland provides our Sailors and Marines with another highly versatile platform to meet the operational demand for amphibious capabilities," said Capt. Brian Metcalf, LPD 17 class program manager for Program Executive Office Ships. "The significant effort by the Navy and industry team is to be commended as LPD 27 delivers with a high degree of quality and readiness to support expeditionary tasking."
LPD 17 class ships transport and deploy the necessary combat and support elements of Marine Expeditionary Units and Brigades. The ship will carry 699 troops, with a surge capacity to 800, and will have the capability to transport and debark air cushion or conventional landing craft and amphibious vehicles, augmented by helicopters or vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (MV-22). These ships will support amphibious assault, special operations and expeditionary warfare missions through the first half of the 21st century.
The versatility of Portland will allow her to support a wide range of operational missions, including humanitarian relief efforts. LPDs are capable of providing medical, logistics, and air support as well as coordinating and assessing damage with local government and relief crews. A sister ship, USS New York (LPD 21), is currently underway from Mayport, Florida offering support in the wake of Hurricane Irma.
The delivery of Portland came in line with the Navy christening the future USS Tripoli (LHA 7), which is also in production at Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) Pascagoula shipyard. HII is also currently in production on the future USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) and is under contract for long lead time material and advance procurement in support of LPD 29.
As one of the Defense Department's largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, and boats and craft.